Reverend Jerome Smith

1919 - 2015

Born on August 4, 1919 in Santa Barbara to Joseph and Susie Smith. He attended schools in the Santa Barbara area before enlisting in the army in 1940, and had attained the rank of Platoon Sergeant before his discharge in 1943. Jerome met and married his late wife, Helen, in 1941. He was ordained as a Methodist Minister in 1947, and served for 43 years until until his retirement in 1990. In 1998, The Santa Barbara Jazz Society honored Jerome with the “Artist of the Year” award for his Jazz recording of “The Rev”. The Reverend Jerome Smith, who truly had a full life, has passed away peacefully at The Californian in Santa Barbara on March 3, 2015. He is Survived by his sister-in-law, Anita Smith; grand nieces Pamela Lamb, Michelle Cook, Andrea Lynn Aldridge, Reverend Alicia Smith, Danielle Butt and their respective families; and grand nephew Thomas Aldridge and family. Services will be held at Santa Barbara Cemetery Chapel on April 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM. Special thanks to The Californian, St. Paul AME Church, and the Jazz Society of Santa Barbara for all of the love and support that was given to the family.